erted by religious teachers. Public preaching is the system. which infinite wisdom devised for the general instruction of the world. By this means multitudes in the common ranks of life, may gain at little expense, such a fund of knowledge as they have no opportunity to acquire from books, or from any other source. From the pulpit they may be taught to think, to reason, and what is more, to feel and act as becomes men. Facts speak distinctly on this subject. Take the map of the world, and put down your finger on those regions where the common people regularly attend on the instructions of well qualified Christian teachers, and these you see are the same regions, where the common people are most distinguished for good sense, sobriety of morals, and general strength of character. Gross vices shrink away from such an influence with tenfold more certainty, than from the most elaborate systems of jurisprudence, or the severest inflictions of penal statutes.

We may apply these principles, in estimating the aspects of this age as related to sacred eloquence. The world has seen an influence of the clergy, which for ages triumphed in its ascendency over human minds; an influence, however, not resulting from intellectual or moral elevation in those who filled the sacred office, but from the degradation of other men. Without looking back on the revolting scenes of the dark ages, let Spain during the last century, stand as an example of what I mean. Her clergy had almost unlimited control over popular opinion and feeling. This could not be ascribed to their superior intelligence; nor to the weight of their moral character, for as a body they were grossly deficient in both these respects. Nor could it be ascribed to the purity of their doctrines, or the power of their ministrations; for the authority of the Gospel was subordinated to that of the church, and its glory was obscured by a mummery of senseless ceremonies. To what then was this ascendency owing? To the ignorance of the people; and thence to a childish credulity and superstition; the same as gives ascendency to the necromancer over untaught minds. This popular ignorance grew out of despotic government, dread

ing the diffusion of intellectual light, and associating with itself a religion and a priesthood congenial to its purposes.

Suppose now the superincumbent weight of these mountains piled on wretched Spaniards to be removed, and a free government to succeed their despotism. These shapes of human beings by degrees become men. Their souls rise and expand; they think, and reason, and claim to themselves the attributes of an individual and independent existence. Just in the same proportion, this priesthood, with its farago of rites, its wafers and beads, its crucifixes and consecrated water, goes down to insignificance. Such a revolution, not in the condition of Spain only, but of the nations generally where absolute governments exist, the aspect of the times leads us to look for, as a probable event. The train has long been laid, and the progress towards such a result has been steady and obvious, especially since the period of our own national independence.

Let the question return then, in reference to these United States, on what footing hereafter must the influence of the Christian ministry rest? All sources of influence, according to the genius of our institutions, are accommodated to one predominant principle, the force of public opinion. As belonging to a great community of freemen, every one claims to himself the rights of a man, and is bound to acknowledge no sovereignty over his faith, his conscience, or his actions, but the necessary obligations of duty. Others may lament, if they will, that a factitious reverence for the clergy no longer exists; but with all my repugnance to that reckless spirit of innovation, which sometimes tramples with undistinguishing foot, on what is venerable as well as what is worthless, I thank God, that the human mind is raised from the degradation of past ages, so that it will not bow to any dictation of mere authority, nor to any figment of superstition. Henceforth the preacher's influence must depend, not on his official title, not on his cassoc or band, but on himself. His control over the opinions of others, will be just according to the purity and power with which he preaches the gospel.

I have extended these remarks thus far, because they prepare the way for that result which I wish briefly and prominently to state. If the above views are just, a new era is opening for sacred eloquence. Besides the circumstances which I have mentioned, arising from the intellectual character of the age, and the free institutions of our country, as adapted to promote elevation of motive and effort in the preacher; I add briefly that powerful moral causes conspire greatly to increase this tendency. Let any man maturely reflect on the combination of moral influences, that have come down to us from the Protestant Reformation, through our Saxon ancestors, especially the fathers of the Plymouth colony; then let him look at the tide of Christian benevolence which set in upon the world, during the closing years of the last century; let him begin with the formation of the London Missionary Society, and see following in rapid succession the Bible Society, the Tract Society, the Sabbath School system, the mighty enterprise of Foreign and of Home Missions; and then let him ask, whose work it is to organize and to keep in operation, this immense machinery? It is the work of Christian ministers; it is theirs so preeminently, that if they withdraw from it, the whole movement will stop. But how is their influence to bear upon the world, so as to sustain and accelerate this movement? Not by the reputation of profound scholarship, but by the power of argument and persuasion which they can wield in the pulpit. Hence it is, that the spirit of the age calls for the cultivation of that eloquence which appeals to the heart, or which is properly termed popular. Men may listen to an address on some abstract subject, and may call it eloquent, though it awakens no emotion, and touches no spring of action; but it is not eloquent unless it stirs the hearers, by pressing conscience, rousing passion, and urging home something to be done.

On this principle, the characteristics of this age are eminently favorable to the eloquence of the pulpit. It is an age of stir and excitement; mind is acting on mind; and the mass of intelligence acquires momentum by its own action. Since the

world began, so many and so powerful causes have never been brought to operate on a whole community, as those which conspire to promote expansion and vigor of intellect in this country. Reverence for authority and names is passing away. Influence, so preposterously and so long allied to birth and wealth, must find its chief resources here, in mind and moral character. And if the fair fabric which the hand of God has begun to rear is not destined to untimely ruin,-if this great people are not to be given up to the reprobation of heaven, the mighty system of argument and motive which the gospel combines, and which it is the province of sacred eloquence to enforce on the hearts of men, never found so perfect a theatre for its appropriate influence as our country presents. But then the minister of the gospel, that he may magnify his office in an age of intellectual action and enterprise, must not only keep pace with the general progress of mind, but must apply all his energies and acquisitions to his own sacred work, and from motives peculiar to his own holy religion. And let every preacher settle it with himself as a maxim, that gifted as he may be with intellectual and moral endowments, the amount of his influence must depend cheifly on pen and his tongue.

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LECTURE VII.

PREPARATORY PRACTICE IN ELOCUTION.OBJECTIONS.

DIRECTIONS.

The next point to which our attention will be directed, is the utility of preparatory exercises in elocution.

The remarks which I have to make on this part of the subject, will be thrown into the form of reply to several objections, which have been made against such exercises.

The first objection is one that is often heard in this indefinite form; "It is weight and warmth of thought, that does execution in the pulpit; he who feels will of course speak feelingly; to exhibit the appearance of being in earnest, all he needs is to be so in reality. But this quality must be inherent in the man, and can never be conferred by preparatory study and practice in speaking."

There is some confusion in the premises, which invalidates the conclusion. Feeling is certainly the great secret of eloquence; all other things cannot atone for its absence. But in execution, the power of emotion in a speaker often depends absolutely on practice in speaking. Want of skill may ruin feeling in him who might speak with great earnestness, if he had the command of his powers.

Let us take an illustration from the military art. Courage and muscular strength are the grand elements of a soldier. These must be in the man, and cannot be produced by any process of drilling. True-but does it follow that drilling and skill in tactics are useless to a soldier? He is a new recruit. He has